Politicians Kick-off Start! Walking Day
On April 6, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Councilmember Joe McDermott, and Mayor Mike McGinn celebrated the American Heart Association’s Start! Walking Day — the third of King County’s Walks Week daily hosted walks. The group met at noon at City Hall and headed to the International District. King County Walks Week is a program of the Health Matters team as a way to encourage employees to take a few minutes out of every day for physical activity.
SPD Discusses Profiling Training
On Saturday, April 16, the Seattle Police Department invited the community to a glimpse of how police officers are trained, called “Perspectives on Profiling”. The SPD-led discussion at the Filipino Community Center, aimed to educate the minority community on why some methods for profiling help safeguard communities. However some critics believe profiling is discriminatory and disproportionately impact communities of color.
Young Business Professionals of Seattle Put on an Event to Raise Funds for Japan Red Cross
In the wake of the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, people from all over the world felt a collective pull to assist in the support and aid of rebuilding Japan. The Young Business Professionals of Seattle organized a Cocktail Benefit Party called “Help Japan” on April 14 at The Triple Door to raise funds for the Japan Red Cross. The evening featured live performances and raffles throughout the night with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Japan Red Cross. Raffle prizes included: A guitar with case from Mills Brothers Co., Japanese artwork from the Art Exchange, and a VIP Booth at Venom Nightclub to name a few. The Triple Door also donated 10 percent of the evening’s revenue. Christine Chen, formerly of Q13 Fox, emceed the night. The event raised over $11,500 and counting. Jimmy Wong, who made national headlines with his video response to Alexandra Wallace’s anti-Asian Youtube rant, also made a special guest appearance. According to a release from organizers, “There have already been several events held to raise money for earthquake victims, but “Help Japan” stands apart as being one that strives to assemble all influential leaders in the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community. Coordinators are hoping that this will boost attendance, donations and show that API’s in the Northwest are ready to make a difference.”
For more information, please visit http://www.seattlehelpsjapan.com.
Students Protest College Budget Cuts
On Tuesday morning, April 12, at Seattle Central Community College, students rallied at the college’s South Plaza to protest the 11 percent budget cuts the community colleges are facing this legislative season in bill 1087. The protest included speakers ranging from Seattle Central’s President, Dr. Paul Kilpatrick, to the students who will be directly impacted by the cuts. All three Seattle Community College campuses were represented, and demanded that colleges continue to get sufficient funding. According to a release by organizers, “Washington State Community Colleges — as we know them — cannot survive these cuts, and neither can our economy. Eliminate access to affordable education, and you eliminate the ability of businesses, small and large, to thrive here. Slash funding for community colleges, and you slash at the social and economic fabric of the State.”
